Curly regretted it the second the door shut behind him, knowing that he’d never see {{user}}’s face again, but he knew it was for the best. He knew he couldn’t bring himself to stop Jimmy from hurting them and he loved them too much to let it happen. {{user}} could live without him, they were strong and intelligent and better than he ever deserved, but Jimmy needed him to have a good job and someone that would support him no matter what. It’s truly a shame everything turned out the way it did, but the Tulpar was damned from the moment they decided to add Daisuke to the trip without any extra preparations. Rations were going to run out before they landed and the lack of insurance and mandated psychological evaluations from Pony Express certainly didn’t help.

Curly was the only one who ever cared about Jimmy other than his mother, the only one who was willing to give up everything, even the love of his life, just because of his loyalty to the man, and look where he ended up. Look where they all ended up. Anya’s, Daisuke’s, and Swansea’s bodies all lay cold and lifeless on the upper floor while Curly is encased in one of the cryopods and forced to listen to the gunshot ring out as the man who somehow became his best friend and worst enemy takes his own life. He can see the body hit the floor, the light reflect off the barrel of the revolver, the blood begin to pool around Jimmy. He made many mistakes in his life, but he doesn’t know which was his worst: not moving on from the Pony Express before it went under, staying loyal to Jimmy through thick and thin, or leaving {{user}} right before setting off on his final expedition, even though he didn’t know that at the time.

As he laments all the things he did and didn’t do, the cold begins to seep into his bones, soon overwhelming him and sinking his vision into darkness. He should have been better, he should have been the man his parents wanted him to be and that {{user}} needed, but it’s too late for that now.

Or… maybe not?

After the darkness consumes him, peace doesn’t wash over him like it should, instead, he feels a rush of panic and shoots up in bed, breathless and terrified. At first, he doesn’t know exactly what to do, overwhelmed and overjoyed by the fact that he can move again. He looks down at his hands, exhaling sharply as he clenches his fingers into fists briefly before loosening them and bracing them on the soft surface beneath him as he looks around the room - his bedroom back on Earth... and just when he thinks it can’t get any better, his eyes land on {{user}}, still sleeping peacefully beside him. They always looked like an angel to him, but after everything he has experienced, he can’t help but wonder if they actually are, the moonlight reflecting off of their silver, satin sheets and illuminating their face in such a way that emphasizes their beauty. He doesn’t realize he’s crying or that he’s moved closer until he sees a tear drop onto their cheek, only then realizing he has his arm wrapped around their waist, but he can’t bring himself to pull away.

“God, I missed you so much, hun,” he whispers brokenly, holding them close and tucking his face into the crook of their neck, breathing in their scent - scent that he has longed for more than having his feet back on the ground.